Truly Gone
by LinaNamiStar
Summary: Rin asked him if he loved her, he answered "no". And without another word, he left her without looking back. She had cried when he had gone. And as he returned to Inuyasha's village, Rin's scent is no longer there. She was truly gone.


**A/N**: Well, I like to write tragedy once in a while, so this may or may not make you feel sad. Sadly, it's quite short. Reading "The Annulments" by **Instant Noodler** inspired me to write an Inuyasha fic at least once on this site and may be the last time I would ever make one, so here it is! I hope everyone who reads it would like it. Please enjoy and reviews would be nice but not necessary. **Disclaimer**: I do not own the original story line of Inuyasha or its characters. They all belong to Takahashi Rumiko. **Spoilers**: There's a very small amount of spoilers in here, but nothing large. Enjoy! ^-^

Truly Gone

_"Lord Sesshomaru, have you ever... loved me?" Rin asked, her hand held tightly against the cloth on her chest. Tears had started to form in her eyes._

_Sesshomaru looked over at her with his usual expressionless face before turning back._

_"No," Sesshomaru said as he immediately left the village, leaving Rin alone._

_After he had gone, Rin felt her legs gone weak and fell over. Tears finally fall from her eyes, and she cried painfully. Kagome heard her tears and cried as well. She wonders if Sesshomaru would ever accept Rin._

A few years had passed before Sesshomaru returned to Inuyasha's and Kagome's village. He returned to see how Rin was doing after never returning to the village for so long. But at the moment he entered the village, he could no longer smell Rin's scent. He felt his body stiffen before he rushed to Kagome's hut. Inuyasha immediately got out of the hut and stared daggers at Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru didn't mind as he knew his half-brother was always like that.

"Where is Rin?" Sesshomaru asked. This time, Inuyasha growled and took out his sword, ready to fight with him.

"Leave," Inuyasha barked. Sesshomaru stood in place, unafraid. Sesshomaru found it strange for Inuyasha to act like this. He did nothing as of yet to cause Inuyasha to act this way.

"Where is Rin?" Sesshomaru repeated. He was surprised that tears had formed in Inuyasha's eyes.

"Gone," said a female voice. Inuyasha whipped his body to meet Kagome's. "Inuyasha, put your sword down and come inside to watch the children. Rin would have been unhappy if you pointed your sword at him. After all, it was her final wish." Inuyasha growled before he sheathed his sword and went inside the hut in anger.

Sesshomaru's eyes widened only by a fraction before returning back to normalcy, but he could feel a stinging pain his stomach. And before he realized it, he clenched his fist until it bled.

"What do you mean, human?" Sesshomaru asked nonchalantly, but his aura said otherwise.

Kagome looked at him with such a sad look in her eyes.

"You heard me. She's gone. Died from an illness," Kagome answered, her voice choking as she thought back to Rin laying on her death bed while giving out her final wishes and goodbyes.

"When did she die? Where is her body?" He asked coolly.

Kagome sighed and looked up at the sky and back to him. Tears had already fallen from Kagome's eyes.

"If only you came sooner. She died two days ago, and we burned her body. She did not want you to smell her scent," Kagome told him.

Sesshomaru felt like choking on the air in his lungs.

"Where have you taken her ashes?" Sesshomaru questioned once more. Kagome frowned.

"In the ocean not far from here. She was afraid you will not like her scent in the wind among the flowers," Kagome answered once more.

For some reason, Sesshomaru felt his legs had turned weak. Kagome walked inside the hut for a moment and returned later with a bundle tied up with cloth and held it out to Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru stared at it before looking up at Kagome.

"All the kimonos you have given her throughout the years. Rin wanted me to burn them because it has her scent on it, but I couldn't. Instead, I hid them and am giving them to you now. Inside is her letter to you before she died," Kagome said. Sesshomaru held it closely against him. "I hope you don't regret leaving her behind, Sesshomaru. Ever since you left, she was always crying whenever she was alone. She always tried to smile whenever people were around. But the people who knew her, knew better. She is, was, and always will be loved in this village. I hope you felt the same, Sesshomaru. It is a shame though. It was a shame she had loved you all these years even when you have caused her permanent pain."

Sesshomaru looked at her and growled, but Kagome wasn't afraid. She let out a sigh and shook her head before returning inside her hut. He did not understand why the pathetic human would look at him in pity.

He left the village and into his mansion. When he was inside his bed chambers, he untied the cloth to see the various kimonos he would send to Rin. On top of the kimonos, laid her letter addressed to her Lord Sesshomaru. He opened it and it read:

_Dear Lord Sesshomaru,_

_By the time you read this, Rin has already died. It is funny how Rin would die of an illness after dying two times and being revived both times. I just wanted to tell you to erase Rin from your mind. Forget about the little Rin who traveled with Lord Sesshomaru and who was always a burden to Lord Sesshomaru. Forget about the Rin who Lord Sesshomaru would always bring kimonos to. Forget about the Rin who grew as time passed. Forget about the little Rin who first met the injured Lord Sesshomaru in the forest. Forget about the fragile Rin. And most of all, forget about Rin's smiles. But I am sure, Lord Sesshomaru will be able to. When I asked if Rin would ever die, if Lord Sesshomaru would always remember me. Rin wants to take that wish back. I don't want Lord Sesshomaru to remember me. I don't want that wish anymore Lord Sesshomaru. I know how you truly feel about me, Lord Sesshomaru. I know Lord Sesshomaru is disgusted with Rin. Rin was a fool and regrets everything we have been through. I am sure this letter would mean nothing to Lord Sesshomaru, so Rin will write no more. Goodbye, Lord Sesshomaru and live well._

_Rin_

Sesshomaru immediately touched his chest and felt some sort of undescribable pain. He crumpled the letter in his hand, shaking for some reason.

"Regret?" Sesshomaru asked the empty room, "This Sesshomaru regrets meeting you, Rin."

"Are you sure, milord?" A voice asked. Sesshomaru whipped his head to meet with Jaken's.

"How dare you enter my room without permission?" Sesshomaru told him angrily.

"Tears, milord," Jaken told him. Sesshomaru looked at him confused. Jaken let out a sigh. "You are crying, milord."

Sesshomaru's eyes widened before he carefully touched under his eyes to feel a sort of wetness. No wonder his eyes were blurring. He was crying.

"This cannot be. I have not cried in years," Sesshomaru whispered.

"Milord, do not say you feel regret when you do not," Jaken said, knowing full well he was speaking out of terms in front of his master.

"When have you become so insolent?" Sesshomaru spat.

"When I watched as Rin breathed her final breath," Jaken said, bowing his head.

"You knew?" Sesshomaru asked, shocked.

"Yes, milord. Many of the important people close to Rin were there to witness Rin's final days," Jaken said before he started sniffling. "Ah-Un had come with me as well."

"Why was I not informed of this?" Sesshomaru yelled, his anger flaring up. He was no longer going to keep his cool this time.

Jaken looked at Sesshomaru sadly.

"Because Rin does not want you there, Lord Sesshomaru," Jaken told him.

"What?" Sesshomaru yelled before he gotten to Jaken and held him by his cloth. Jaken almost got strangled before Sesshomaru took him by the back of his cloth. "For what reason would she not want me there?"

"I do not know, milord. But as it is Rin's final wish, I could not go against it. Rin is like a child I never had, milord, even if we argued here and there. I do not want her to die unhappy when you are present."

Sesshomaru paused. His anger had gone instantly to be replaced with a strange feeling and let go of him as he fell down on his butt. Usually, it would be comedic but Jaken was no longer up to being his silly self.

"Leave," Sesshomaru demanded. Jaken bowed his head.

"As you wish, milord," he said, "But I will like to say one more thing before I leave, milord."

"What is it?" Sesshomaru growled.

"There is only but one girl who has made the Lord melt the ice in his heart. And because the Lord wants to save his precious pride, he has lost Rin once more. But this time, the Lord, the servant, and the loyal steed will no longer be able to meet the ever smiling one in this lifetime," Jaken said as he cried mournfully, closed the door, and left for his Lord to his thoughts.

Sesshomaru felt his body light and felt his legs heavy as he headed for his bed. He lied down on the bed and looked up. He could feel his throat clogged up. And before he knew it, he howled in the most painful way when the night sky and the full moon had risen.

He realized too late that Rin was no longer.

"Do you hate me that much, Rin? Why did you not allow this Sesshomaru to attend your final days and funeral?" Sesshomaru asked the sky, his tears no longer falling but contained in his eyes. "Why?"

Little did he know, he would never know of the other letter Rin wrote of her true feelings and her knowing of his deep love for her. That letter would forever be buried deeply in her garden of flowers where Lord Sesshomaru will never be able to find. After all, her love and loyalty for her Lord is much more deeper than even those who are loyal to him before even Rin came to his life.

And as if it would be the last time, he saw Rin's smiling face on the moon before she disappeared completely, and all there was left was complete emptiness in Sesshomaru's heart.

"Rin, this Sesshomaru has failed. If only you understood, this Sesshomaru has always loved you," Sesshomaru whispered. And once again, he howled to the moon.

Sesshomaru will never be able to see that irreplacable smile of hers. He would never see her loving gaze towards him. And most of all, he would never feel her presence, hear her laugh and speak, and run up to him to welcome him. And unlike the two times before, she would not return to him. His mother's words echoed in his head, "It's only natural. Life is finite."

Snow started to fall from the sky. From this, Sesshomaru extended his hand for the snowflakes to fall on the palm of his hand. As the snow melted from the touch of his hand, he clenched it and looked up at the sky.

"It feels... cold," Sesshomaru whispered.

Winter will no longer be the same for Sesshomaru since his warmth will no longer be there to greet him.


End file.
